My story is rather lengthy and sorted. I am excited to exclaim that today is the first day of the rest of my life.

I was banded in October of 2003. By October of 2004 I had lost 165 pounds. My problems began somewhere after that point with a slip. My wonderful insurance that paid for my surgery in 2003, would no longer support the band by October 2004. Somehow I missed the announcement, or decision. My problems began after the major weight loss. TriCare would gladly pay for the removal of my band, but nothing else. My surgeon offered no other solution, but removal of my band.

After losing 165 pounds, that was not an option in my mind. But I didn't know what to do. I suffered from frustrating reflux and I deamed my band useless. The food that would go down well was not good for me, empty calories, calories that served no purpose, carbs, sugar, and I rediscovered soda. A down fall for me.

I accidently found a new surgeon. I wasn't looking for one, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that, hands down, I have the best, most sincere, caring surgeon in my life. He repositioned my band. I continued to have problems, eating too much, another slip, removal of saline, no fills.

Disappointment. Regain 100 pounds, more disappointment, more "rounds" with myself in the boxing ring. It hasn't been pretty at all.

I've appealed twice to TriCare to no avail.

At one point, when my Saint surgeon "labeled" me with an eating disorder, I did us both dis-justice by following through. If I was going to have a label on my forehead that said I HAVE BINGE EATING DISORDER by gosh I was going to make sure I really did.

A few weeks ago, admitting defeat, trying to believe that the band failed ME, I went to see my Saint of a surgeon and tell him to remove the darn thing. I was ready. I can't eat past 6pm or suffer from no sleep because of horrible reflux. I have regained a whopping 100 pounds, so I just wanted it out. Finally, after agreeing with myself that it didn't work, I couldn't think of a reason to keep it inside me? The band failed me. That concept is really difficult to grasp. The band failed me. The band failed me. The band failed me.

I talked to Dr. Saint and we decided to replace my band with the new Allergan band. The most bizarre thing happened. The following week I received a TriCare newsletter in my e-mail at work and I opened it up, which I never do. The second article was about TriCare approving Lap Band surgery if the certain qualifications were met, effective FEBRUARY 2007!

It is good news, however, Dr. Saint is not in my network. TriCare will only pay 50 percent of what they will approve.

Don't beat yourself up ! Forgive yourself for the mistakes and start all over. You did it before you an do it again. You are worth all the work it will take!